News Releases

REF NO.: 10

SUBJECT:

New director of Financial and Administrative Services for Memorial

DATE:

Sept. 14, 2007

Memorial University has appointed Deborah Collis as its new director of the Department of Financial and Administrative Services. The appointment was approved by the university’s Board of Regents at its Sept. 6 meeting.

Ms. Collis, who has been acting director since August 2006, replaces Brian Colbourne who was director from 2003-2006.

She holds a bachelor of commerce degree from Memorial and achieved her chartered accountant designation in 1993.

As one of the university’s senior financial officers, Ms. Collis will be responsible for monitoring and co-ordinating all university income and expenditures including a university-wide budget in excess of $250 million. In addition, she will manage the budget allocation and administration process for Memorial, and administer university policies and procedures. She will also oversee annual financial statement preparation, student financial services, grant reporting, taxation matters and printing services for the university.

She currently is a member of the finance committee, the investment committee and the separately incorporated entities committee of Memorial’s Board of Regents, is an administrative representative on the university’s Sexual Harassment Advisory Board, is a member of EduTech Services Inc.’s board of directors, and treasurer and university representative on the Campus Childcare Inc., board of directors.

“Working with Memorial University, and in particular the Department of Financial and Administrative Services, has been a wonderful experience for me,” she said. “I’m looking forward to this great opportunity to lead our department toward exciting opportunities that lie ahead to improve and grow the services we provide to Memorial’s students, faculty and staff.”

Ms. Collis has been employed at Memorial for the past four years. From 2003-2006, she was associate director of Financial and Administrative Services. Before coming to Memorial, she worked as director of finance and administration and previously as controller with Robinson-Blackmore Printing and Publishing in St. John’s. She has also previously worked as a staff accountant with Ernst Young.

A resident of St. John’s, Ms. Collis is an active volunteer with community and social organizations. She is extensively involved in her local church. She has been a director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Employers’ Council, treasurer of the provincial chapter of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, and has been active with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Newfoundland.

“I’ve always been very involved in community and social organizations and Memorial University has been a natural extension of this involvement for me,” added Ms. Collis.

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Note to editors:

A photo of Deborah Collis is available at www.mun.ca/marcomm/media/media_relations_photos.php.

For more information, contact Jeff Green, communications co-ordinator, Division of Marketing and Communications, Memorial University of Newfoundland, at 709-737-2142 or jeffg@mun.ca.